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New to soccer (or as the rest of the world calls it - football)? So am I! This is my place to share thoughts about the sport and news and commentary about the clubs I'm following. Who am I following? LA Galaxy, IF Elfsborg, Falkenbergs FF, Liverpool FC, and LAFC. Send comments to rrblog[at]yahoo[dot]com.

During the run, it is so overwhelming to see so many women in purple hats which signify they have survived cancer. Many of the runners had the names of loved ones on their t-shirts who are battling cancer. However, most heart wrenching was seeing so many where the name of the person is written down with the year of their birth and death.

I would say there are more women participants than men. And many of the runners, men and women, are in groups.

However, most sobering are the male solo runners who have these words written on the tags on the back of their shirts: I run in memory of my wife, name surname, 19XX - 19YY. I see them run silently and alone with their memories and their hopes that their daughters, sisters and other women in their lives will someday not be lost to cancer.

Mixed with such private remembrances is the celebration of life that there are indeed so many women wearing purple hats... cancer survivors who have full heads of hair, a smile on their faces, gratitude in their hearts and the energy to walk or run the 5K.

And the joy of entering into the LA Coliseum at the end of the run is such a great feeling ... the sound of cheering people ... the band playing upbeat music ... the crowds of people all different yet united for one purpose ...

I had to include this photo from the day. This is our team's youngest participant with the properly proud mom.